


pressure

by spookykingdomstarlight



Category: Star Wars (Marvel Comics), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Banter, Future Fic, Kissing, M/M, Post-Poe Dameron: Ongoing, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Snark, Undercover Missions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-21 17:41:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16581074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spookykingdomstarlight/pseuds/spookykingdomstarlight
Summary: Poe groaned and then leaned his head back against the tile. His lips were pinker than before and there was a rough red patch on his cheek where Terex’s stubble had scraped his skin. “This is the worst idea I’ve ever had.”





	pressure

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zoe_Dameron](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zoe_Dameron/gifts).



Terex didn’t expect a lot of things to happen in his life. It was how he got through it unscathed despite myriad disappointments and failures. In fact, at this point he just assumed the worst and spent a lot of his time exactly as disappointed as he could be under the circumstances: which was to say, not at all. Because the worst was always what seemed to happen to him.

That had to be why he suddenly saw Poe Dameron slipping around the highly exclusive luxury box suite like he had any right at all to be there. From the way the assorted socialites, politicians, criminals, and general swine present all smiled and inclined their heads at him, he was doing a pretty good job of pretending that was the case. Every so often, he stopped and offered a word, a laugh, a clap of his hand on an a shoulder, and most frustratingly of all, a kiss to the cheek or the corner of a mouth, all very polite, all very above board.

Except for the fact that Poe was not a socialite, politician, criminal, or member of the porcine family. No, Poe was merely the Resistance’s best weapon: a pilot above and beyond reproach and the man Terex sometimes wished he hadn’t thrown to the First Order as an exit strategy. That made this whole venture not even the slightest bit above board. Because if Poe was here, he was lying about something and, knowing the people here as Terex knew them, they wouldn’t want him here anyway.

It wasn’t that Terex went searching for blood in the water, but he occasionally found it all the same. That might have been why he was so good at his job. Or had been pre-scuttling it for greener pastures.

That greener pastures had led him here was, well, an embarrassing story that he intended to tell nobody about ever. Which was, of course, how Terex ended up with Poe’s eyes on him, his gaze heavy with regard and stifling as a thick, winter blanket. His features remained carefully blank, but no doubt there were warning bells going off in his head. Terex didn’t need to hear Poe’s words to his latest conquest—a shy young man who looked a little bit like Poe hung every moon in the galaxy; it was absolutely embarrassing and disgusting and the kid should’ve known better than to hero worship a guy wearing white linen, not even when he smiled wide enough to dimple his cheeks—to know that Poe was excusing himself.

When Poe pushed his way through the crowd, coming closer and closer to Terex all the while, Terex couldn’t say he was in the least bit surprised. His gaze remained carefully placid, but there was a growing concern in his eyes, a growing heat. Oh, yes. Poe was furious and Terex was going to be the focus of that anger.

Terex squared his shoulders; it was nothing new, probably nothing personal—though Terex could taste how personal he wanted to make it for Poe, it was the only thing left that he wanted and he couldn’t help but wish and hope that Poe missed their run ins as much as Terex did—but it made Terex’s heart trip against his chest.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” Poe said, pointed, holding his hand out for Terex to shake. There was still the faint line of a scar across the back of Poe’s hand. The bacta treatment hadn’t quite taken. Terex tried not to feel bad about it, but he couldn’t stop a thin thread of guilt from winding around his heart. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Terex’s mouth twitched at the smarminess of Poe’s words, the glint of malicious mischief in his eyes, the way he seemed to dare Terex to say anything with the upward tilt of his chin. “I don’t see why it matters,” Terex answered, prim and proper, feigning for a time the cool, Core world aristocratic bearing he’d once worn like a second skin. For the Empire, he’d pretended so many things. It wasn’t so hard to bring it back for an encore. It was how his original mark would have remembered him anyway. “I’m nobody.”

“Nobody’s nobody.” Poe jerked his head toward the refreshments table, a boring tableau upon which stood a variety of highball glasses filled to the brim with overpriced bourbon and underwhelming sprigs of mint. Retrieving a pair of the drinks, he handed one to Terex and then sipped from his own. “What brings you to the fathier races?”

“I don’t believe that’s any of your concern,” Terex answered. Was that the hint of an accent in Poe’s voice, bland and broad, uncouth. Just the kind of voice for the kind of guy who’d call another man sweetheart. How deep did this cover have to go? And why did Terex have to bear the brunt of it? Frankly, Terex deserved better than this.

He deserved at all times to have half a galaxy between himself and Poe. It was the safest thing for them. Otherwise, Terex might get some ideas he’d have enjoyed indulging. Like giving up the First Order to Poe in the hopes that it’d get Poe’s attention or asking Poe on a date, a real one, no knives or shootings or the risk of injury or death for either of them. Utter nonsense, of course, and impossible even beyond that.

There was no way Poe would agree. Even if Terex gave him everything.

“You’re a hard man to get to know, let me tell you,” Poe said. He brought his hand up to his chest, hand splayed wide as he inclined his head. “I’m Varec Kisselle. Nice to meet you, Mr. None of My Concern.” Poe let his eyes widen slightly, eyebrows climbing his forehead as he willed Terex to play along. It was cute that he thought Terex might do that. Good to know that the sudden ascension of that freak to the throne and complete destruction of freedom and democracy in the galaxy hadn’t hurt Poe’s shining optimism any.

It was like a constant in the universe. Comforting. It made Terex want to do stupid things, things he shouldn’t have wanted, things Poe didn’t and wouldn’t want.

“How’s the drink?” Poe continued, doing his utmost to make Terex bend.

And then Terex caught sight of his mark, saw the way Poe’s eyes slipped past him to better gaze at that selfsame mark, and something in Terex snapped. The reason Terex was here was apparently the same reason Poe was here.

It all very suddenly made sense.

Terex was absolutely not jealous. He wasn’t. This clearly was some sort of operation. The intrigued look on Poe’s face wasn’t anything more than a mask, a cover. “Terex,” he said suddenly. Playing along was definitely the better option, especially since it got Poe’s eyes back on him instead. “The name’s Terex.”

Damn the bastard for still managing to look good. Full head of hair and everything. And a suit worth more than everything else in this room put together. Damn him for drawing Poe’s eyes even for a second. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Poe asked, but even Terex could hear the hint of worry in his tone, just a slight hitch in his breath, a slight lift in the tone. Probably it was because Terex had used his real name, but really. There was no point in him not doing so. That Bastard would know who he was in an instant. “Terex, huh? Good name.”

“I’m sure you would know, Mr. Kisselle.”

Poe threw him a warning glance and then let his gaze shift very unsubtly toward the doors that led to the refreshers. At best, this would look like a tawdry liaison. At worst, Terex wasn’t sure what it would be. But though Poe said nothing, he knew he didn’t have to. Terex went willingly, abandoning his watered down drink on the corner of the clothed table. Let someone else deal with it.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Poe bent down to check that there were no wayward legs in the stalls. His eyes scanned the ceiling for signs of cams or bugs. His hand fished in his pocket for something. Terex hoped it was a screener. Just in case. Bugs and cams were easy to miss after all. And visual inspections might not beat all of them. Still. Terex had a suspicion that That Bastard hadn’t changed all that much.

“He’s not the type,” Terex offered with a sniff. Closing his eyes, he sighed. With a drawl, he added, “He’s a principled killer of men.”

“Had to check,” Poe replied, shrugging. It wasn’t his job to care if That Bastard was principled. It was his job to complete the work and not get killed. And that, in turn, was now Terex’s job. If anyone was going to kill Poe, it was him. That Bastard wouldn’t take it from him. The screener beeped and Poe nodded anew, satisfied apparently. “What’s your beef with him anyway?”

“That is definitely none of your business.”

“Feeling must not be mutual,” Poe said. “Otherwise, you’d probably be dead right now. If he’s a killer and all.”

“He’s a principled killer,” Terex answered. “He won’t come after me until I go after him.”

Poe hummed and it was a thoughtful hum, perhaps a pitying hum. Definitely put on for sport. It set Terex’s teeth on edge. “Not worth his time, huh? Can’t say I blame him. You definitely don’t seem like you’re worth it.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Terex gestured at the rest of the refresher and then at himself. It was, maybe, a little pathetic, the note of whining in his voice, but he couldn’t quite stop it from forming anyway. “I thought I made it clear I don’t give a shit what you or the Resistance does.”

“I can’t have you messing up my mission.” Poe’s eyes lanced up and down Terex’s body. It shamed Terex to admit he wasn’t opposed to it. All it did was make a knot of anticipation burn hot and tight in his gut. “And you do tend to make a habit of ruining my day.”

“I broke that habit.”

“I doubt it,” Poe said, disdainful. But there was curiosity in the tilt of his head, too, like he wasn’t quite sure what to make of Terex now. Good. If he couldn’t get what he wanted out of Poe, let Poe wonder in return at the very least.

A lull fell over the conversation, one Terex didn’t quite know how to break. The truth of the matter was this: Terex was over the kriffing moon that Poe was here. It felt like a sign from the indifferent gods of the universe that Terex was meant to be reunited with Poe. The coincidence was just too staggering to be anything else. But Terex didn’t know how to articulate any of that.

“What is ‘the mission’ anyway?” Terex finally asked. “This guy isn’t exactly the sort who enjoys being fucked with.” In fact, he ate people like Poe for dinner. Some even thought that was a literal description of his ways and means. “If you’re not careful, he might just find a reason to dispose of you.”

Poe rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “It’s just a guy in a shitty suit with too much money on his hands. I think I’ll take my chances.”

He tried to push past Terex, shoulder checking him on the way toward the refresher door. Stupid move on his part because all Terex had to do was grab his wrist and yank him back. Sloppy. Like Poe wanted to be held back and caught. Terex tried not to flatter himself too much where Poe was concerned, but the way his eyes darkened a bit in warning—and something else entirely that Terex wasn’t quite able to define—was suggestive.

“With that kind of attitude, you’ll end up dead,” Terex said. It was as simple as that.

It would’ve been a lie to say Terex’s stomach didn’t flutter just so at the possibilities behind the look Poe offered.

Terex’s gaze lowered to Poe’s mouth and then lifted itself back up again with inexorable slowness. If Poe smirked, it was lost when Terex pulled him forward and pressed a kiss to Poe’s mouth, deep and insistent. He pushed Poe back against the wall, the tile cold beneath his palms, probably equally cold to Poe even through the stupid white linen of his jacket. He didn’t seem to mind though, not as he grabbed Terex by the lapel of his own jacket and brought him even closer.

All of a sudden, it felt as though the entire galaxy made sense again. All that time Terex banged his head against the First Order’s walls were always leading to this moment. And even if he hated those squares with the power of ten-thousand Death Stars, he would’ve suffered through it all and more for the taste of Poe’s mouth on his tongue.

Poe groaned and then leaned his head back against the tile. His lips were pinker than before and there was a rough red patch on his cheek where Terex’s stubble had scraped his skin. “This is the worst idea I’ve ever had.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not,” Terex answered. “You took this mission after all. And every other mission you take on a regular basis.”

“You don’t know what I’ve been up to,” Poe pointed out. That was true enough, Terex supposed, and yet he would’ve bet everything on the conclusion that Poe’d had some terrible ideas recently.

“I don’t need the details to know you’ve pulled some stupid shit recently. That just goes with the territory.” He lifted his hand to press his fingers against the tense stretch of muscles that formed the column of Poe’s throat. His pulse pounded against Terex’s thumb and his breath shivered as Terex dragged the pad back and forth beneath his jaw. “But I can help with this dumb idea at least.” He offered a grin. “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“I didn’t ask for your help,” Poe said. “And I don’t need it.”

“Maybe not. But I have some special insights into the guy you’re trying to swindle out there. You want this thing to succeed nice and smooth? You need me.”

Terex insinuated his thigh between Poe’s legs, fought the surge of vindication he felt as Poe gasped and groaned again.

“And the nicest part of all,” Terex said, “I’m a cheap date. It won’t cost you much of anything at all for my help. You’re welcome for that, too, by the way.”

“How generous of you,” Poe answered, his voice heroically steady despite Terex’s wandering touch. “What made you turn over this particular leaf? And what’s it gonna cost me?”

He wasn’t saying no; that was the truly glorious thing.

“We can discuss it later.” Terex, with every ounce of self-discipline he harbored, stepped back and lifted his hands. “Once we take this bastard out and get what you need for your plucky little Resistance.”

“You gonna explain how you know him while you’re at it?”

“Maybe I’ll throw that in for free.” Shrugging, Terex jerked his head toward the door. “Let’s get this taken care of, shall we?”

And if maybe Poe offered more than Terex was hoping even to bargain for, that was entirely Poe’s business and Terex was perfectly happy to take all of it from him.

Neither of them could say they went home unhappy, that much was for sure.


End file.
